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An elapsed time‐temperature monitor for blood storage
Author(s) -
Harris G. E.,
Cloud S.,
Myhre B. A.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
transfusion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.045
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1537-2995
pISSN - 0041-1132
DOI - 10.1046/j.1537-2995.1977.17377196368.x
Subject(s) - refrigerator car , condenser (optics) , blood preservation , nuclear engineering , blood bank , environmental science , materials science , medicine , engineering , physics , emergency medicine , mechanical engineering , optics , light source , andrology
Blood should not be allowed to exceed 10 C while being stored or transported. However, one cannot test the internal temperature of a unit of blood without contaminating it. Most blood banks have established an arbitrary time limit beyond which a blood unit cannot be kept out of the refrigerator. This method is ineffective if blood is stored in a satellite refrigerator, since the blood may be moved in and out of the refrigerator and the blood bank personnel will be unaware of it. An elapsed time indicator is described which employs a small condenser (E‐Cell‐Plessey Electronics) charged with a known amount of electricity. If the device is removed from the refrigerator, it begins to discharge at a known rate. The amount of time subsequently can be determined by the loss of charge. The prototype of this instrument has been found to be quite accurate and small (2“× 2” × 1“). It would be rather inexpensive if made in considerable numbers.